Provincial Government Research Articles

Pakistan’s path to universal health coverage: national and regional insights

BackgroundUniversal Health Coverage (UHC) is a common health policy objective outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. With provincial governments taking the initiative, Pakistan has implemented and extended UHC program amid a complex public health landscape. In this context, we assess Pakistan’s progress toward achieving UHC at the national and subnational level.MethodsWe use data from the Demographic and Health Surveys and the Household Integrated Economic Survey to construct a UHC index at the national and subnational level for 2007, 2013, and 2018. Furthermore, we use Concentration Index (CI) and CI decomposition methodologies to assess the primary drivers of inequality in accessing medical services. Logistic regression and Sartori’s two-step model are applied to examine the key determinants of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE).ResultsOur analysis underscores Pakistan’s steady progress toward UHC, while revealing significant provincial disparities in UHC progress. Provinces with lower poverty rate achieve higher UHC index, which highlights the synergy of poverty alleviation and UHC expansion. Among the examined indicators, child immunization remains a key weakness that one third of the children are not fully vaccinated and one sixth of these not-fully-vaccinated children have never received any vaccination. Socioeconomic status emerges as a main contributor to disparities in accessing medical services, albeit with a declining trend over time. Household socioeconomic status is negatively correlated with CHE incidence, indicating that wealthier households are less susceptible to CHE. For individuals experiencing CHE, medicine expenditure takes the highest share of their health spending, registering a staggering 70% in 2018.ConclusionPakistan’s progress toward UHC aligns closely with its economic development trajectory and policy efforts in expanding UHC program. However, economic underdevelopment and provincial disparities persist as significant hurdles on Pakistan’s journey toward UHC. We suggest continued efforts in UHC program expansion with a focus on policy consistency and fiscal support, combined with targeted interventions to alleviate poverty in the underdeveloped provinces.

Institutional pressures and the prevalence of nonprofit sector support organizations

AbstractThis study focuses on the prevalence of nonprofit sector support organizations (NSSOs)—a form of nonprofit organization (NPO) devoted to providing services and resources to support grassroots development. Contrary to previous studies that emphasize the importance of institutions in shaping the NPO population through their effect on citizens and nonprofit managers, this study links three institutional pressures—coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures—to the decisions of public agencies to establish NSSOs. This study examines this claim using a newly constructed dataset of NSSOs across 330 Chinese cities between 2012 and 2021 (N = 2385). The results indicate that cities with greater pressure from provincial governments, neighboring cities, and professional associations are more likely to promote the establishment of NSSOs. This study advances the understanding of the impact of institutions on the dynamics of the NPO population by demonstrating their effect on public agencies.

Lubumbashi (DR Congo): Navigating the socio-ecological complexities of a vital mining hub

Lubumbashi, the economic hub of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, thrives on its mining sector but faces challenges from rapid, unregulated population growth and urban expansion. This has led to a dichotomous urban landscape, combining well-planned colonial districts with haphazardly developed areas lacking infrastructure. This study examines Lubumbashi's urban evolution and related challenges through a desktop survey, contributing to literature on urbanization, economic development, environmental sustainability, and resource extraction in sub-Saharan Africa. It also introduces theoretical frameworks such as “resource urbanism.”Key challenges include disorderly land governance, natural vegetation degradation, transport privatization, electrification issues, sanitation deficiencies, and pollution. Although provincial and city governments are working to improve urban organization, their efforts often lack comprehensive consultation and cohesive strategy, focusing primarily on the city center.The study highlights the complex interplay between historical legacies and contemporary issues, emphasizing the urgent need for integrated urban planning. Addressing socio-spatial disparities, environmental concerns, and community resilience requires collaboration among government entities, local communities, and stakeholders to ensure sustainable and equitable development for Lubumbashi.

Sustainability Analysis At KnK Koffee Resources

MSMEs become one of the backbones of the national economy have enormous economic potential. Semarang City has 17,564 MSMEs (95%) and in the last five years, the turnover of MSMEs assisted by the Central Java Provincial Government has increased by Rp. 30.45 trillion. However, that does not mean that MSMEs do not encounter obstacles. This obstacle is exacerbated by the conditions of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic, the majority of business people experiencing a decline in turnover. The MSMEs affected by the pandemic are approximately 1,538 MSMEs, as many as 50% of MSMEs are food processing, and the remaining 50% are mixed MSMEs. It is necessary to assist the Community Service Team of the State University of Semarang (PPM Unnes) with the target audience of MSMEs in the City of Semarang, namely Strengthening Knk Koffee Resources Partners. This home-based coffee processing industry is a café stockist from 60 coffee shops (75% supplier) in Semarang, with an average turnover of 100 million per month. This activity is in line with the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) of Semarang City for 2016-2021. The community/locality development (CD/LD) model used includes community services, empowering, and relations, with the stages of collecting facts, problem formulation, program planning, action and communication, and evaluation. This activity is expected to improve the quality of partners/MSMEs by increasing the competitiveness, production, turnover and welfare of partners. Government support, research institutions and banks with motivating forces, credit, upkeep gear, and quality standard help will increment efficiency and quality whereas expanding smallholder coffee costs.

The Effect of Human Resource Experience on the Quality of SKPD Financial Statements with the Government's Internal Control System as a Moderating Variable

The purpose of this study is to test the influence of human resource experience on the quality of SKPD financial statements with the government's internal control system as a moderating variable. This type of research uses explantory with the use of a quantitative approach. The population in this study is 38 Regional Apparatus Work Units (SKPD) that have general functional positions in the preparation of financial statements in the West Java Provincial Government. The method of determining the sample is the census method so that the entire population is used as a research sample. The data in this study are primary data and data collection techniques using questionnaires. Hypothesis testing uses the Moderation Regression Model with the help of the Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) version 25 program. The results of this study prove that human resource experience has a positive and insignificant influence on the quality of SKPD financial statements, and the government's internal control system is unable to increase the influence of human resource experience on the quality of SKPD financial statements. It is hoped that there will be improvements in government apparatus, as well as leaders to always provide support and evaluation of employees and experience in creating a supportive work environment to improve the quality of SKPD financial reports through education and training.

Factors Affecting Hospital Provision of Health-Promoting Services Transferred to Provincial Administration in Thailand.

Following the transfer of hospital services to provincial government oversight, it is essential to understand how such changes impact service quality and efficiency. This study, conducted from 1 March 2023 to 31 March 2024 at sub-district health-promoting hospitals in Thailand, aims to identify the factors affecting hospital service quality post-transfer and evaluate the role of professional nurses in maintaining service standards under new governance. Utilizing a mixed-methods design based on the Global Fund-HSS framework (2012), which categorizes factors into accessibility, processes, productivity, and outcomes, we collected data from 340 nurses and 400 patients through structured questionnaires. These questionnaires were divided into seven sections, capturing metrics such as the personal data of nurses, hospital service activities, and leadership qualities. We employed a Likert scale to gauge the perceptions and expectations of service quality and conducted paired t-tests to compare performance metrics before and after the administrative transfer. One-way ANOVA was used to assess variability among different service units, and binary logistic regression helped identify the key determinants of service quality. The analysis revealed a significant correlation between the attitudes and competencies of healthcare teams and the levels of service quality. Notably, service units transferred less than 50% exhibited minimal changes, indicating that the degree of transfer significantly impacts service outcomes. Despite these variations, the fundamental mission of promoting health remained consistent. The study emphasizes the critical role of nurses and recommends further research to identify additional factors that could improve service quality in transferred healthcare facilities, potentially contributing to enhanced healthcare delivery across restructured health systems.

Addressing healthcare vulnerabilities in nursing homes : Insights from human rights monitoring in two Austrian provinces.

Current demographic changes bear challenges for national care systems due to higher life expectancy of older citizens. Largely cut off from society, nursing home residents are at risk for violence, neglect, and other potential human rights violations. This study aimed to investigate healthcare vulnerabilities in nursing homes and evaluate the Austrian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). Between 2017 and 2019, 55 monitoring visits were conducted in 32 nursing homes. Study outcomes from two Austrian provinces included data on infrastructure, occupancy, staffing, resident's demographics and medical conditions, as well as measures related to the functioning of the NPM. Accessibility with mobility aids was sufficient in 87%, but assistance for persons with visual or hearing impairments solely in 20-40% of the institutions. An understaffing with nursing assistants (-5.2 full-time equivalents in Carinthia) and home helpers (-1.6 in Carinthia and Styria) was present. Less than 20% of the personnel received advanced training related to dementia and neuropsychiatric care. While 50% of the residents were diagnosed with apsychiatric disorder, approximately 36% received support from an appointed legal guardian. Of the monitoring visits 58.1% were conducted due to anonymous complaints and urgent referrals. The median processing times of the NPM and the provincial governments exceeded 250 days. Human rights monitoring reveals critical aspects in nursing home care, including insufficient accessibility, understaffing and inadequate training. Although the authorities' handling times hinder prompt responses, the NPM may foster systemic improvements and accountability within nursing homes.

Communication as power in South Africa: the proposed Northern KwaZulu-Natal cableway

ABSTRACT This study explores the media portrayal of a highly controversial cableway proposed for the Northern Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The project is being driven by the provincial government, specifically, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, purportedly to develop tourism in this poor, peripheral mountainous area. The project has been criticized for a weak consultation process, as well as been flagged it as highly problematic in a feasibility report. The proposed site is unsuitable, as it borders a World Heritage Site, is within a culturally sensitive area, and is prone to highly variable weather, including thunderstorms. A mountain user group, an important stakeholder, voiced serious concerns ranging from economic and environmental issues to statutory and political impacts. Despite this, the project has been portrayed in a variety of ways by the media. This study explores this by assessing 40 media articles released by 12 publications and the South African government, between 2012 and 2023. It was determined that these outlets either portrayed the project in a negative, neutral or positive light. That is, three dominant views were presented by the media: pro-environment anti-cableway, pro-development and pro-cableway, and a neutral stance.

Impact of Changes in Jakarta's Status on West Java Province: The Ecology of Public Administration and Utilitarianism Perspective

This research explains the reality of moving the capital city of Indonesia from Jakarta to Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan Province, and the opportunities for the dynamics of ecological balance in public administration that will be formed for West Java Province using the equilibrium model from Fred W. Riggs. The previous research has not yet found publications on IKN using the ecological perspective of public administration and utilitarianism. Reserachers uses qualitative research methods uses prospective case studies as a form of research. The research results show that there will be a change in equilibrium in the public administration system. The policies produced by the political system in the form of moving the country's capital from DKI Jakarta to IKN, changing DKI Jakarta to DKJ, and expanding the agglomeration area are predicted to shift the ecological balance of West Java Province's public administration. Viewed from the perspective of Jeremy Bentham's pleasure and pain utilitarianism, the West Java Provincial Government can take a development policy direction that is based on the reality of human resource conditions and geographical advantages.

The impact of strategic infrastructure development of Bali on the economic growth

Bali is the most famous tourist destination in the world, and this popularity has led to a significant rise in the island’s economy. The rise in income has also driven an increase in demand for infrastructure. Moreover, the Bali regional competitiveness index, in the infrastructure pillar, shows a lower figure compared to the national level. So that the Bali Provincial Government focuses on building an infrastructure strategy. This research uses the Input-Output Table (IOT) model, namely the 2016 Bali Province IOT which will be released in 2021. This analysis was chosen because IOT assumes that one sector can be an input for other sectors, in terms of this this is the construction sector. With investment in strategic and monumental infrastructure marking the New Era of Bali, it will result in additional Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of IDR 18.7 trillion, or in other words Bali’s GRDP will increase by 9.71% from the condition of no investment. This shows that infrastructure development is able to boost Bali’s economy. Further research is needed to be able to qualitatively analyze development infrastructure strategies in Bali. Remembering that a qualitative approach is also important to be able to analyze in depth.

Urban Agriculture’s ‘Invisible’ Short Food Value Chain: How Small-scale Farming Contributes to Johannesburg Food Security

AbstractUrbanisation into poverty in cities of the global South gives impetus to urban agriculture (UA) as a strategy to improve food security for low-income residents. This study disputes that UA is a trivial sector by arguing through the invisible short food value chain lens that it contributes to food security in local communities. The study adopted the extended case method that immersed researchers for more than a year to understand the practices of 11 farming entities and 20 of their customers in Johannesburg. Open-ended interview guides were administered to key informants from the city, provincial government, and non-governmental organisations. Findings show that UA increases food availability in local communities through the short food value chain. However, the local economy is undocumented and invisible to city stakeholders, negatively affecting their land use planning decisions for the sector. Though stakeholder consensus on UA is still lacking, the City of Johannesburg recognised UA’s potential and allocated both temporary and permanent land access arrangements for farming. Small-scale farmers lack the capacity to supply formal institutions, which can be overcome by intermediaries, such as civil society facilitation. The limitations of UA manifest in its inability to attract labour and keep records which inhibits its potential and support at the city level.

A City Image Study by Kevin Lynch’s Theoretical Approach: A Case Study of Pontianak City, West Kalimantan Province of Indonesia

Pontianak City is the capital city of West Kalimantan Province reaches area coverage of 118.31 km2.This city has multiple functions as the government and economic centrals of the West Kalimantan Province of Indonesia. It is also known as the Equatorial city because it is located on the equator line and by the end of 2023, its population will reach 679.818 people and will become the 26th most populous city in Indonesia. The City of Pontianak located on the equator line with altitude height ranging from 0.1 to 1.5 meters above sea level, and from administrative divisions, Pontianak City consists of several district areas: (a) North Pontianak District, (b) East Pontianak District, (c) South Pontianak District, (d) Southeast Pontianak District, (e) the Pontianak City District, and (f) West Pontianak District, whether from geographical perspective, City of Pontianak is traversed by the longest river in Indonesia, the Kapuas River which has become a life support for the surrounding community. The analytical method applied in this research to study the city image of Pontianak is the triangulation method where it is used to compare information obtained through field observations with theoretical perspectives that have been studied previously. The result found in this article is the City of Pontianak has fulfilled the requirement of 5 elements of city image according to Kevin Lynch’s theory and it has Tugu Khatulistiwa or Equator Monument as a symbol or the icon of Pontianak City.

PENGARUH GAYA KEPEMIMPINAN GUBERNUR RIDWAN KAMIL TERHADAP KUALITAS PELAYANAN DI JAWA BARAT

This study aims to describe the significance of the influence of the leadership style of the West Java Governor for the 2018-2023 period on the quality of public services in the West Java Provincial Government in 2023. West Java Province is the most populous province in Indonesia, so it is a challenge for the West Java provincial government to provide excellent public services for all its citizens. The influence of a leader who can make efforts to improve the quality of public services is needed. The method used is quantitative. The data collection technique was carried out by distributing questionnaires to 100 respondents. In this research, a series of statistical data analysis was carried out to test the proposed hypothesis, the results of which were presented descriptively. The results obtained were 14.190>1.661 with a significance value of <0.001 and a correlation of 0.820 or in a very strong category. Where the leadership style of the West Java Governor for the 2018-2023 period has an effect of 66.9% on the quality of public services in the West Java Provincial Government in 2023.

Paradiplomacy in the border: Overcoming forest fire in West Kalimantan – Sarawak border through the Sosek Malindo cooperation

This paper analyses the policies of the West Kalimantan Provincial Government in overcoming forest fires through the Indonesia-Malaysia Socio-Economic Cooperation (Sosek Malindo) on the West Kalimantan-Sawak border in 2019-2023. Forest fires are a regional issue but have transboundary impacts on neighboring countries. To overcome this, the West Kalimantan provincial government is implementing several cooperation strategies with the state of Sarawak to address forest fires on the border. The theory used is the concept of paradiplomacy and border management. This is a literature study with qualitative descriptive analysis methods and secondary data. With regard to cooperation, Sosek Malindo used forest fire prevention programs in three ways: socialization, regulation, and collaboration. Regarding its structural organization, Sosek Malindo still has some obstacles in managing border areas. Moreover, the local government must determine its cooperation policy to prove that paradiplomacy can be implemented in managing a state border area. This article assists other researchers in researching forest fire management on the West Kalimantan-Sarawak border through Sosek Malindo cooperation. Additionally, it suggests a combination of paradiplomacy concepts for managing border areas.

Strategic transparency under authoritarian environmentalism: information disclosure and the role of environmental NGOs in China’s national emission trading scheme

ABSTRACT Transparency in carbon markets is considered critical to ensure market effectiveness and public accountability. Low levels of transparency and lack of participation of non-governmental actors are persistent criticisms of Chinese (pilot) emission trading systems. Building on debates around authoritarian environmentalism and China's role therein, this article analyses transparency, manifested as information disclosure, in China's national carbon emission trading scheme (C-ETS) – the largest carbon emission market worldwide. Using expert interviews and content analysis, the article outlines practices of C-ETS information disclosure and discusses its characteristics in the context of China’s environmental governance. Key findings include discrepancies both between central and provincial governments related to information disclosure, and between different provincial governments. And while most industry actors lack interest and capacity to engage in C-ETS disclosure, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), by contrast, are significantly more involved in the policy process and information disclosure, often as ‘eco-elites’. Overall, this reveals that international and domestic ENGOs retain high-level channels to influence policy design and implementation. Yet, ENGO input is not pursued as a public good valuable for its own sake, but sought strategically as a means to the larger goal of efficient market functioning. This type of ‘strategic transparency,’ as we call it, suggests that China’s environmental governance model – regularly considered to be a key example of authoritarian environmentalism – instead represents an evolving mixture of liberal and illiberal tactics.

Regional public infrastructures and development in decentralized Indonesia

ABSTRACT Empirical evidence on how investment in public capital by different levels of government plays a role in influencing socioeconomic development within the context of decentralized developing countries has been relatively limited. Using a case study of Indonesia, this paper aims to analyse the relationships between regional public infrastructures developed by different levels of government using different sources of budget and regional socioeconomic development. To achieve this goal, this paper utilizes a longitudinal data at district/city level, covering over 513 districts and cities in the country, for the period of 2010–2017. Our results show that, compared to those developed by district/city governments, infrastructures developed by provincial governments using their infrastructure budgets or utilizing national government infrastructure budgets deconcentrated to them have been more effective in inducing regional socioeconomic development in their regions. This paper recommends that the Indonesian government enhance the roles of provincial governments in developing regional infrastructure and provide strong incentives to support districts and cities in planning and implementing infrastructure projects.

Digital age: The path choice of government-citizen value co-creation

This study explores the relationship between government and citizen in the digital age and proposes a specific path to realize the value co-creation of government and citizen in the digital age. Quantitative analysis of 40 policy texts on “digital government construction” of 30 provincial and municipal governments in China before November 2022 was conducted using NVivo12. The case of Minsheng Cloud revealed that provincial and municipal government departments have not paid sufficient attention to citizen participation. Furthermore, citizens' participation ability and enthusiasm are not high. The study found that in the process of strengthening the construction of digital government, “government optimisation”, “citizen participation”, “governance guarantee”, “data governance” and “government digitization” are the key elements. We discuss the feasibility, necessity and coupling of the value co-creation theory to establish the benign interaction between government and citizens and realize co-creation. We find that the “DART” model can be co-created based on value, and that the continuous Improving the four aspects of “dialogue”, “access”, “transparency” and “risk assessment” will undoubtedly help realize the value co-creation of government and citizens in the digital era, and form a governance pattern of co-construction and sharing. It is therefore of great significance to promote the government's digital construction and digital governance capability to accelerate the construction of digital China and promote the modernisation of the national governance system and governance capability.

Unpacking the agricultural innovation and diffusion for modernizing the smallholders in rural China: From the perspective of agricultural innovation system and its governance

Innovation is perceived as a crucial tool for addressing the serious global challenges faced by the agriculture sector. This paper focuses on a new local public agricultural innovation project in the context of rural China, and intends to capture the embodied agricultural innovation and dissemination network for modernizing the smallholders. Through integrating the concepts of Agricultural Innovation System and Agricultural Innovation Governance, we develop a comprehensive framework for understanding the partnerships between agri-technicians and small farmers within the network structured by innovation governance practices. In-depth interview and network analysis methods were used to scrutinize the linkages among actors engaged with the agricultural innovation programme in case area and detect the achievements in enabling smallholders to upgrade technical trajectories in production and fostering modern farmers at the local levels. Our empirical analysis suggests that the single-center and multi-level network produced in the agricultural innovation practices, which is distinctive to the previous simplistic linear model for technology transfer, demonstrates obvious effectiveness in diffusing the new knowledge both vertically and horizontally, and that the grassroots sub-network generates the interaction space between agronomic experts and farmers for building mutual trust and co-producing technologies suitable for local conditions. Through allocating financial resources and supervising the public agricultural innovation projects, the provincial government indirectly dominates the directionality of local agricultural innovation for enabling smallholders to learn emerging technologies and cultivating the new generation of professional farmers. Nevertheless, the current agricultural innovation practice in case area has not completely avoided the social selection bias due to the clear marginalization of some vulnerable smallholders, and the duration of innovation projects imposed negative influence on the persistent collaborations between agri-technicians and smallholders in places. It is argued that for meeting the national agenda of agricultural modernization and common prosperity in rural area, how to reform the management measures of public innovation projects and enable the vulnerable farmers to equally engage with the innovation activities and share the interests brought by new technologies are the urgent challenges need to be addressed in the future.

PRACTICES OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IN NEPAL

This article has mirrored the positive and negative aspects of good governance in Nepal. It has explored both weaknesses and strengths of good governance implications in the system of operation of various organs of the government of Nepal under the new constitution 2015 as envisioned by the legislatures via the Constitution Assembly. Despite the fact that democracy is the precondition of good governance, Nepal, being a democratic nation, lacks a proper functioning form of good governance. Several rules and strategies for good governance are included in Nepal's constitution and other laws. They are, nevertheless, constrained by the black letters of legislation and court judgments. Even Nepal's Supreme Court has issued multiple verdicts on the question of good governance. The division into central, federal, and local governance only can't fulfill Nepal’s good governance needs. But, to manage difficulties within and between municipal, provincial, and federal governments; development projects and governance plans necessitate a sustainable problem-solving mechanism. One cannot deny that Nepal's governance system is still in its early stages of improvisation. However, in the coming days, vital actions will be more important than the provisions guaranteed by the Constitution but never implemented practically.

Optimizing public space design through odd-even policy: Reducing traffic congestion and pollution in DKI Jakarta

Background: The Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta issued Governor Regulation No. 155 of 2018 and its amendments regarding Traffic Restrictions with the Odd-Even System. This regulation aims to reduce congestion levels on 16 main roads. By decreasing congestion, the expected outcome is a reduction in air pollution levels in DKI Jakarta. However, there is concern that the implementation of Governor Regulation No. 155 of 2018 might lead to an increase in conventional car purchases, as affluent individuals may buy two cars with odd and even license plates. This choice is driven by the continued use of fossil fuel-based energy. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Governor Regulation No. 155 of 2018 in reducing traffic congestion and air pollution in DKI Jakarta. Additionally, the study seeks to understand the relationship between the implementation of the odd-even traffic restriction system and electric vehicle sales. Methods: The research was conducted by analyzing secondary data obtained from government agencies and other institutions. Furthermore, a questionnaire survey was administered to individuals active on the 16 main roads where the odd-even policy is enforced. The study also analyzed the purchase levels of electric cars, which is one method for Jakarta residents to avoid fines on odd-even roads. Result: Based on the research findings, Governor Regulation No. 155 of 2018 and its amendments have not yet effectively reduced traffic congestion and air pollution in DKI Jakarta. Conclusion: The increase in electric car purchases potentially introduces new issues, such as the unsustainable management of nickel mines required for electric vehicle battery production. Therefore, other sustainable strategies are needed to address traffic congestion and air pollution. Novelty/Originality of the study: This study shows that Governor Regulation No. 155 of 2018 has yet to reduce congestion and air pollution in DKI Jakarta effectively. In addition, the increase in the purchase of electric cars as a solution to avoid fines has raised new problems related to the environmental impact of electric vehicle battery production.